Campbell, California Since 1999
Business
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New Voices: Women on the Rise members are Kathy Obot, owner of Kase; vocalist Charsette, and artist Julie Valentine, owner of Divine Goddess Designs. |
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Campbell businesswomen form support group to help each other By Moryt Milo A new group of women entrepreneurs is doing business in downtown Campbell. Kase owner Kathy Obot, artist Julie Valentine and vocalist Charsette formed a women's business support group about a year ago, dubbed Women on the Rise (WOTR), to generate something positive for businesswomen and people of all nationalities and colors. The fact that the acronym sounds like "water" is not a coincidence. "We were sitting in Kase and the idea of women on the rise seemed to make sense," Charsette says. "Like water, our businesses have a continuous ebb and flow as we are faced with day-to-day challenges." The group wanted to enhance the traditional monthly meetings chaired by the Downtown Campbell Business Association (DCBA) and infuse some new marketing ideas in the downtown business community. WOTR began sponsoring theme events once a month that would draw customers to the downtown and provide another venue at which business owners could gather and talk in an unstructured atmosphere. Since March the group has sponsored four events, from a financial planning seminar with Salomon Smith Barney to a cultural event with an Eastern theme to a Mother's Day event. DCBA board member Dana Smith says, "Anything good for WOTR helps the rest of the street." Obot says that all the events have been well-received, averaging 25-50 people. The group is now planning an event with brief massages at lunchtime for employees of Washington Mutual. With several specialty events under the group's belt, people are starting to stop by and look at the calendar posted outside Kase to see what's next. The group acknowledges that its approach to networking has a nontraditional feel, but the method does benefit the downtown by attracting customers. When upcoming events are scheduled, Obot walks down the street handing out flyers to all the merchants and extending invitations to the general public and regular customers. "Kathy brought color to the downtown. She added funk, energy and appeal," Charsette says. "We plan to continue to give back to the community as we grow." WOTR was created to help these fledgling businesswomen build a sense of cohesiveness within themselves and their work. Obot's business focuses on custom blends of makeup and specializes in applying it through an airbrushing technique. Valentine designs stationary, women's apparel and original art with a theme that centers on images of real women as goddesses, and Charsette is a professional vocalist. Charsette's CDs and Valentine's work are featured in Obot's store. The group, although small in size, is big on energy. The women meet often to lend each other support and develop ideas that will improve their businesses. "We are always cutting out and sharing magazine or newspaper articles we feel might be relevant to each other," Obot said. "We are constantly providing each other with leads." These meetings are often the catalyst to new ideas, which WOTR turns into monthly events. But Valentine feels that it's also important to join traditional business organizations. The three women - all former employees in the corporate world of finance and computers - say that what makes the group work is that no one feels threatened. "There isn't any sense of competition," Obot says, "only a sense of teamwork." |
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